Door for screw-door safes.



Patented Oct. 7, I902.

w. E. ARNOLD. DOOR FOR SCREW DOOR SAFE S.

(Application filed. July 17, 1902.)

(Nd Model.)

ms wam PETERS coi Puma-um UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILBER E. ARNOLD, OF MADISONVILLE, OHIO.

DOOR FOR SCREW-DOOR SAFES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '7 10,554, dated October '7, 1902.

Application filed July 17,1902. Serial No. 115,903. (No model.)

To all 10/2/0777 it 71710; concern:

Be it known that I, "WILBER E. ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Madisonville, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Door forScrew-Door Safes; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description thereof, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the reference numerals marked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of doors for safes of the screw-door pattern and where the body of the safe and door, or at least the latter, are made of non-workable metal, meaning such metal which cannot be machined that is worked and shaped by tools. This does not include the complementary parts of the screw, whereby the door is held in its close position within the body of the safe, which parts comprise the female screw within the door-opening in the safe-body and the male screw on the door and are of workable metal in order to permit formation of a tight-fitting screw-thread. In consequence these separate parts have to be connected to the corresponding parts of the safethat is, body and door--which connection must be in a manner which is suitable and sufficient for the purpose. As to the connecti'on of the female-screw part to the safebody, such may be done in any suitable way, or, for instance, as shown and described in Patent No. 706,877, issued to me on August 12, 1902. The connection of the male-screw part to the door forms the subject of this present invention, and consists accordingly of the means and their construction whereby this connection is accomplished.

In the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims following is found a full description of the invention, together with its parts and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of a safe-body with parts broken away and showing the front side in section with the door inserted in the opening therein. Fig. 2 is a side View of the male screw to be connected to the inside of the door, it being of workable metal. Fig. 3 is a side View of the body of the door, to the inner side of which the male screw is to be connected, the same being of non workable metal. Fig. 4 is a view at right angles to the preceding figure, it showing the inner side of the door provided with the means for attachint, thereto the screw part shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side view of the preceding figure. Fig. 6 shows the inner side of the door with the screw part attached in position. Fig. 7 is a side view of the door with the screw part attached, as shown in the preceding figure, such screw part being shown in section. Fig. 8 shows in perspective view certain details of construction. Figs. 9 and 10 in views of the inner side of the door show modified constructions of the same-that is, of connecting the screw part to the body thereof. Fig. 11 is a cross-section of the preceding figure.

In the drawings, 1H1 indicates the body of the safe, and 15 the door thereof. The side or edge of this latter is tapering and tightly fitted into a circular opening in the front 16 of the safe-body. It is held in the closed position by a malescrew 17 on its inner side engaging a female screw 18 formed around the inside of the door-opening. The means for locking it in this position, which are usually bolts, and the mechanism for operating them are not shown, since they form no part of this invention. Neither do the hinges and frames for supporting the door while being swung in or out or while open, and usually connected to bosses or hubs 19 on the outside of the door, form a part of the invention, and are therefore also omitted.

The features of my invention find application where the safe-body and the door, or at least this latter, are formed of metal which is of such texture and hardness as to prevent it from being worked by tools. This requires that the complementary parts of the screw, or at least the male part on the door, be formed of a separate piece and of different metal, which is workable, since the screwthreads to fit well cannot be formed Without the use of tools. These separately-finished pieces which contain the screw-thread must then be connected in position in a manner which is so rigid as to be practicallyintegral with the parts to which they belong. In the present case the safe-body may also be considered to be of non-workable metal, requiring, therefore, the female part 18 of the screw to be made of a separate piece of workable metal. This is in form of a ring having the thread on its inner side and is connected within the door-opening in any suitable manner, or if the safe-body is made of non-workable cast metal the connection may be made as described in my patent already referred to, and in which case said ring is embedded at the time the body is cast, so as to become incorporated in a manner that both form practically one integral piece.

Irrespective of the metal out of which the safe-body is formed the door in this case is presumed to be of non-workable metal, so that the male screw 17 has to be formed in a separate piece of workable metal to be connected to the door-body. For such purpose this screw consists of a ring around the outer side of which the thread is cut, and which ring is fitted onto a boss 21, provided on the inner side of the door-body. Keyways 22 in the face of boss 21 are formed in this casting by coring and, if necessary, finished by grinding. They are wider at their bottom and open toward the face and edge of boss 21, so that with keys 23 fitted into these ways and socketholes 24: on the inner side of ring 17, which the ends of these keys are capable of entering, this ring is held in place as soon as the keys have been pushed outwardly and entered said holes with their outer ends, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Boss 21 may also be concaved or provided with a recess 25 in its face, as shown in Fig. 9, leaving an annular flange 26, which is provided with cored holes to permit keys 23 to pass through and enter socket-holes 24 in ring 17. As to this latter, these holes might be tapped, and the keys would be screws 27, as shown in Fig. 9. The keys shown in the preceding figures are dovetail-shaped, with their broadest part on their under side so as to retain their position within keyways 22 of the door. As to the outer end, this condition must be reversed in order to hold ring 17 in position, for which purpose socket-holes 24 are contracted in width toward their lower part, as shown in Fig. 8, and the ends of the keys are shaped accordingly. These ends may in addition also taper wedge-shaped, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, with holes 24 formed accordingly. In all cases the engaging position of the keys is to be made permanent, which may be done in several ways. One way is to fill the space back of them with molten metal 28. This space would he the empty part of the keyways (see Fig. 6) or recess 25, as shown in Fig. 9. They may also be driven out fully and held tight by screw connection that is, screws 29 may bear again i or be seated in the ends of said keys, so that when turned in the proper direction they push the keys into socket-holes 24 and hold them there. One way of arranging these screws is shown in Figs. 6 and 8 by using a turnbuckle or double nut 31 as to two opposite screws, which it simultaneously engages, and

which being threaded in opposite direction are simultaneously operated. This turnbuckle is then used as an abutment for the ends of the screws of the other keys to bear against. After the keys are driven home their position, as well as the position of the screws, is made permanent by pouring molten metal into the unoccupied space of the keyways. A smooth surface is then presented on the inner side of the door, against which anyinternal lockmechanism, time-locks, 850., may be attached, the soft metal of the keys furnishing the ready means for such purposethat is, to receive attaching-screws.

' A modified construction is shown in Figs. 10 and 11, where the keys are provided on the inner side of ring 17, as shown at 32, and the edge or side of boss 21 is reduced or cut out to clear them when the ring is slipped onto the boss. After this the ring is partly turned to cause said keys 32 to occupy grooves 33 also in the edge of boss 21. It may be locked in this position by any suitable means or molten metal may be poured into the interstices.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In a door for screw-door safes, where the male screw on the door is made of an independent piece of metal in shape of a ring and where the body of the door is of non-workable metal, a boss formed on the inner side of this door-body adapted to receive the ring mentioned, keyways formed in both keys fitted thereinto and adapted to occupy them simultaneously, and means to hold these keys in such position.

2. In a door for screw-door safes, where the male screw on the door is made of an independent piece of metal in shape of a ring and where the body of the door is of non-workable metal, a boss formed on the inner side of this door-body adapted to receive the ring mentioned, keyways formed in this boss, socketholes on the inner side of the ring, sliding keys carried in the keyways and adapted to enter and occupy the socketholes in the ring mentioned when they are opposite the outer ends of the keyways, and means to hold these keys in such position.

3. In a door for screw-door safes, where the male screw on the door is made of an independent piece of metal in shape of a ring and where the body of the door is of non-workable metal, a boss formed on the inner side of this door-body adapted to receive the ring mentioned, keyways formed in the face of this boss, sooket-holesin the inner side of the ring, sliding keys occupying these keyways and adapted to enter with their outer ends the socket-holes as soon as they are opposite the keyways and means to secure the keys in their engaged or advanced position.

A. In a door forscrew-door safes, where the male screw on the door is made of an independent piece of metal in shape of a ring and where the body of the door is of non-workable metal, a boss formed on the inner side of this door-body adapted to receive the ring mentioned, keyways formed in this boss, socketholes on the inner side of the ring and sliding keys carried in the keyways and adapted to enter and occupy the socket-holes in the ring mentioned when opposite the outer ends of the keyways, said keys being held in position with their outer ends Within the socket-holes of the ring by metal occupying the space back of them and applied in a molten state to fill out these spaces.

5. In a door for screw-door safes, Where the male screw on the door is made of an independent piece of metal in shape of a ring and where the body of the door is of non-workable metal, a boss formed on the inner side of this door-body adapted to receive the ring mentioned, keyways formed in this boss, socketholes on the inner side of the ring, sliding keys carried in the keyways and adapted to enter and occupy the socket-holes in the ring mentioned when opposite the outer ends of the keyways and tighteningscrews acting against and engaging the inner ends of the keys to hold them in position within the socketholes of the ring.

6. In a door for screw-door safes, where the male screw on the door is made of an independent piece of metal in shape of a ring and where the body of the door is of non-workable metal, a boss formed on the inner side of this door-body adapted to receive the ring mentioned, keyways formed in this boss wider at their bottom and open toward the face and edge of this boss, keys to occupy these ways and spaced accordingly, except at their outer ends where they taper in opposite direction and socket-holes in the inner side of the ring shaped to receive these particular ends of tlie keys when said holes are opposite the outer ends of the keyways in the boss.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILBER E. ARNOLD.

W'itnesses:

O. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE. 

